Growing up, Matthew Gee always seemed to love football. He played as a linebacker for the 1989 Trojans at the University of Southern California and was part of the 1990 Rose Bowl winning team. During his time at USC, Matthew played hard; his former teammates, like Mike Salmon, remember that he hit like a truck and often seemed a little disoriented during practices. After he graduated from USC, he pursued a career in the NFL, but was let go during training by the Los Angeles Raiders. So instead, Matthew Gee settled down with his wife Alana, began running his insurance company, and enjoyed time with his children. But following his death in 2018, and subsequent chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) diagnosis, Alana is now suing the NCAA for wrongful death. 

Alana’s Case

According to an article originally published in FORTUNE, Alana Gee argues that the NCAA did not protect Matthew from repeated head trauma during his time at USC. As Michael Salmon described, other team members have mentioned that they were told to make helmet-to-helmet contact while on the field. Repeated head trauma has been linked many times over to CTE. Alana’s suit argues that the NCAA knew the impacts of repeated head trauma but failed to inform athletes or enact any protective measures. 

Alternately, the NCAA argues that the understanding of CTE has grown over the years but was not known at the time Matthew was playing football. Concussion protocol was implemented in 2010, just about 21 years after Matthew was playing. 

A 2016 study sought to understand the relationship between football and CTE. After evaluating brains from 111 deceased NFL players and 53 deceased former college players, the Boston University researchers found that 110 former NFL players (99%) and 48 former college players (90.5%) had chronic traumatic encephalopathy. 

Matthew’s Story

In Matthew’s case, he showed no signs of CTE or any related damage until 2013. He began feeling emotional distress, becoming angry, depressed, or confused with seemingly no cause. His memory lapsed; sometimes, Matthew was unable to remember what happened over a period of days. This eventually led him to drink heavily to cope with his feelings. Five years later, on New Year’s Eve in 2018, Matthew passed away. Medical examiners stated that he had cardiovascular disease and liver cirrhosis. 

While Alana argues that CTE played a huge role in her husband’s emotional distress and subsequent death, something that was confirmed after his death, the NCAA argues that Matthew’s death was caused by his drinking and potential drug use. 

However, Alana’s case remains a significant one. It is only the second case alleging CTE and repeated head trauma that has progressed to trial over the last decade and the first that could make it to jury. The last trial, in 2018, was settled out of court. 

What is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)? 

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain condition that has been linked with repeated head trauma. For example, CTE has been linked to football, other collision sports, and even military service. Unfortunately, CTE cannot be diagnosed before death, nor can it be treated. Avoiding repeated brain trauma is the best preventative measure. This condition is not yet well-understood and more research will be needed in the future. As it is understood now, potential symptoms and characteristics include:

• Memory loss
• Changes in behavior and personality
• Confusion
• Depression
• Problems with balance and motor skills
• Erratic behaviors
• Difficulty paying attention and/or organizing thoughts
• Progressive dementia

Learn more about chronic traumatic encephalopathy from the Concussion Legacy Foundation.